ASP World Tour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The World Surfing Champion is a title awarded annually to the best competition surfer for the year, today based on points earned for placings at events on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) ASP World Tour. A qualification system decides who can compete on the tour, for a total of 44 men (the top 44 as they're called) and 16 women.

Contents

[edit] History

The earliest world titles were amateur events decided by a single event, open to all comers, and were held only intermittently. The first was at Manly in Sydney in 1964. The second was held in Lima, Peru in 1965.

From 1973 to 1975, there was no amateur championship held. The International Surfing Federation had been unable to establish a format or sponsorship and concurrent with this the new professional era was dawning.

1968 World Champion Fred Hemmings, retired from competition and began his career as an event promoter and ran the Smirnoff ripcurl World Pro/Am that became the defacto professional World Championship from 1970 through 1975. The winners were; 1970 - Nat Young (Australia), 1971 - Gavin Rudolph (South Africa), 1972 - Paul Neilsen (Australia), 1973 - Ian Cairns (Australia), 1974 - Reno Abellira (Hawaii) and 1975 - Mark Richards (Australia).

In 1976 the International Professional Surfing (IPS) organisation was formed by the 1968 champion, turned promoter, Fred Hemmings. It put together an annual tour of 12 events around the world with a points system for event placings to decide a ratings winner at the end. This is the format used today by the ASP.

Peter Townend and Ian Cairns devised the points scoring system, shamelessly (as PT put it) appropriating the way Formula One motor racing did it. Townend also ended up the winner that first year (1976) with Cairns finishing in second.

In early years the title brought honour but only modest financial rewards in extra sponsorship etc, and not all professional surfers had it as their goal. In 1979 for instance when Mark Richards won he hadn't even attended all the events, reckoning it better to concentrate on his board shaping business than travel for the South African leg.

In 1982, following a less than positive experience with the IPS at the new Op Pro, Ian Cairns formed the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) which crowned its first champion, Tom Carroll, in 1983. The ASP continues as the worldwide sanctioning body for professional surfing.

In 1999, Mark Occhilupo's win was a remarkable comeback. He'd been on the tour about 10 years earlier but had abandoned it, then returned stronger than ever.

In 2001 the ASP cut the tour short after the World Trade Centre attacks of 9/11, on surfers' fears for their safety at competitions. The ratings leader C. J. Hobgood was declared the championship winner.

[edit] Records

As with almost every any sport there's an element of fortune needed in surfing competitions. The competition format, types of waves and human judging all have an effect, which leaves plenty of room for speculation about excellent surfers who never won a title, or could have won more.

Mark Richards' record of 4 titles 1979 to 1983 stood until 1997 when Kelly Slater took his 5th. It was joked that it'd taken so long Richards was scarcely remembered by young fans and was known to them only as "that guy whose record Slater beat". Slater's 7th win in 2005 made him both the youngest and oldest champion.

Frieda Zamba, Wendy Botha and Lisa Anderson all took 4 women's titles. Anderson was followed by dominance and 6 titles by Layne Beachley.

[edit] Men's World Tour

[edit] Champions

Year Name Country Points
1964 Nick Martir Flag of the United States United States -
1965 Felipe Pomar Flag of Peru Peru -
1966 Nat Young Flag of Australia Australia -
1968 Fred Hemmings Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1970 Rolf Aurness Flag of the United States United States -
1972 James Blears Flag of the United States United States (H) -
Smirnoff World Pro/Am
1970 Nat Young [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
1971 Gavin Rudolph Flag of South Africa South Africa -
1972 Paul Neilsen Flag of Australia Australia -
1973 Ian Cairns Flag of Australia Australia -
1974 Reno Abellira Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1975 Mark Richards Flag of Australia Australia -
IPS tour
1976 Peter Townend Flag of Australia Australia -
1977 Shaun Tomson Flag of South Africa South Africa -
1978 Wayne Bartholomew Flag of Australia Australia -
1979 Mark Richards [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
1980 Mark Richards [3] Flag of Australia Australia -
1981 Mark Richards [4] Flag of Australia Australia -
1982 Mark Richards [5] Flag of Australia Australia -
1983 Tom Carroll Flag of Australia Australia -
1984 Tom Carroll [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
1985 Tom Curren Flag of the United States United States -
1986 Tom Curren [2] Flag of the United States United States -
1987 Damien Hardman Flag of Australia Australia -
1988 Barton Lynch Flag of Australia Australia -
1989 Martin Potter Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom -
1990 Tom Curren [3] Flag of the United States United States -
1991 Damien Hardman [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
1992 Kelly Slater Flag of the United States United States -
1993 Derek Ho Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1994 Kelly Slater [2] Flag of the United States United States -
1995 Kelly Slater [3] Flag of the United States United States -
1996 Kelly Slater [4] Flag of the United States United States -
1997 Kelly Slater [5] Flag of the United States United States -
1998 Kelly Slater [6] Flag of the United States United States -
1999 Mark Occhilupo Flag of Australia Australia -
2000 Sunny Garcia Flag of the United States United States (H) -
2001 C. J. Hobgood Flag of the United States United States -
2002 Andy Irons Flag of the United States United States (H) -
2003 Andy Irons [2] Flag of the United States United States (H) -
2004 Andy Irons [3] Flag of the United States United States (H) -
2005 Kelly Slater Flag of the United States United States -
2006 Kelly Slater [8] Flag of the United States United States 8124
2007 Mick Fanning Flag of Australia Australia 8136
2008 TBA TBA -

[edit] Most World Championships

Wins Surfer Country
Men
8 Kelly Slater Flag of the United States United States
5 Mark Richards Flag of Australia Australia
3
Tom Curren Flag of the United States United States
Andy Irons Flag of the United States United States (H)
2
Damian Hardman Flag of Australia Australia

[edit] Longboard World Tour

[edit] Champions

Year Name Country Points
1986 Nat Young Flag of Australia Australia -
1987 Stuart Entwistle Flag of Australia Australia -
1988 Nat Young [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
1989 Nat Young [3] Flag of Australia Australia -
1990 Nat Young [4] Flag of Australia Australia -
1991 Martin McMillan Flag of Australia Australia -
1992 Joey Hawkins Flag of the United States United States -
1993 Rusty Keaulana Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1994 Rusty Keaulana [2] Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1995 Rusty Keaulana [3] Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1996 Bonga Perkins Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1997 Dino Miranda Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1998 Joel Tudor Flag of the United States United States -
1999 Colin McPhillips Flag of the United States United States -
2000 Beau Young Flag of Australia Australia -
2001 Colin McPhillips [2] Flag of the United States United States -
2002 Colin McPhillips [3] Flag of the United States United States -
2003 Beau Young [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
2004 Joel Tudor [2] Flag of the United States United States -
2006 Josh Constable Flag of Australia Australia -
2007 Phil Rajzman Flag of Brazil Brazil -

[edit] Most World Championships

Wins Surfer Country
Men
4 Nat Young Flag of Australia Australia
3
Colin McPhillips Flag of the United States United States
Rusty Keaulana Flag of the United States United States (H)
2
Joel Tudor Flag of the United States United States
Beau Young Flag of Australia Australia

[edit] Women's World Tour

[edit] Champions

Year Name Country Points
1964 Phyllis O'Donnell Flag of Australia Australia -
1970 Sharon Webber Flag of the United States United States -
IPS tour
1977 Margo Oberg Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1978 Lynn Boyer Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1979 Lynn Boyer [2] Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1980 Margo Oberg [2] Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1981 Margo Oberg [3] Flag of the United States United States (H) -
1982 Debbie Beacham Flag of the United States United States -
ASP tour
1983 Kim Mearig Flag of the United States United States -
1984 Freida Zamba Flag of the United States United States -
1985 Freida Zamba [2] Flag of the United States United States -
1986 Freida Zamba [3] Flag of the United States United States -
1987 Wendy Botha Flag of South Africa South Africa -
1988 Freida Zamba [4] Flag of the United States United States -
1989 Wendy Botha [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
1990 Pam Burridge Flag of Australia Australia -
1991 Wendy Botha [3] Flag of Australia Australia -
1992 Wendy Botha [4] Flag of Australia Australia -
1993 Pauline Menczer Flag of Australia Australia -
1994 Lisa Anderson Flag of the United States United States -
1995 Lisa Anderson [2] Flag of the United States United States -
1996 Lisa Anderson [3] Flag of the United States United States -
1997 Lisa Anderson [4] Flag of the United States United States -
1998 Layne Beachley Flag of Australia Australia -
1999 Layne Beachley [2] Flag of Australia Australia -
2000 Layne Beachley [3] Flag of Australia Australia -
2001 Layne Beachley [4] Flag of Australia Australia -
2002 Layne Beachley [5] Flag of Australia Australia -
2003 Layne Beachley [6] Flag of Australia Australia -
2004 Sofia Mulanovich Flag of Peru Peru -
2005 Chelsea Georgeson Flag of Australia Australia -
2006 Layne Beachley [7] Flag of Australia Australia -
2007 Stephanie Gilmore Flag of Australia Australia 4308
2008 TBA TBA -

[edit] Most World Championships

Wins Surfer Country
7 Layne Beachley Flag of Australia Australia
4
Lisa Anderson Flag of the United States United States
Wendy Botha Flag of South Africa South Africa/Flag of Australia Australia
Freida Zamba Flag of the United States United States
3 Margo Oberg Flag of the United States United States (H)
2 Lynne Boyer Flag of the United States United States (H)

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Surfa.com.au